Improved process of preparing- bamboo-fibre



LOUIs s. EOBBINs, OE NEW YORK, NQY., AND JOHN A. sOUTHMA'YD,

' OE ELIZABETH, NEW JERs-EY.

Letters Patent No. 87,432, dated March 2, 1869.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it ana/y concern Beit known that we, LOUIS S. ROBBINs, of the city, county, and State' of New York, and JOHN A. SOUTH- MAYD, of the city of Elizabeth, 'county of Union, and

State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful .th'en be manufactured 'and employed in the aits in various Ways.

To preparethelignine ofthe bamboo inv such amanner thatthe fibre can be` more readily and completely separated and freed from its gummy and silicious matter, also, to give it strength and elasticity, and enable' the fibres to move easily upon each other during the process `of manufacture, is the object ol' this invention, and this object is accomplished thereby.

The method consists in saturatingthe lignine of the bamboo, which has been previously prepared, with oleaginous vapors, either separately, or in connectinwith steam.'

When oakum is to be prepared from the bamboo, we treatthe lignine, or fibre with the vapor of tar, but when We prepare it for felting and other purposes, we employ such oleaginons materials as may behest adaptenv to the particular use which is to be made of it.

One .forni of apparatus for carrying out our improvement is represented in the accompanying plate.

A, in the drawing, represents a retort, made of' any desired form or size, in which tar, rosin, or other oleaginous substances and compounds, are placed, and subjected tothe action of heat from any suitable furnace.

Brepresents the man-hole of theretort used in cleansing the same, or changing its contents.

C, a pipe connecting with retort A, at or near its top, passing to and connecting 'with the chamber oi receptacle D.

E represents the discharge-pipe, employedV for rei moving the contents of the retort after the operation is over.

F is a steam-boiler, and

G G, pipes connecting it with the chamber or receptacle D, and the retort A. p

H H are cocks for introducing steam into retort A and-chamber D, when required. y

rlhe lignine oii the bamboo is placed in the chamber D, through the door I, which is then closed, and heat applied to the retort A, previously lled with tar, rosin, parafiine, or other Oleaginons 'substances which have been selected for the operation. Oleaginous vapors Iare generated therein, which pass over out of the same, through connecting-pipe C, into chamber D, containing the lignine.

Heat having been applied to the steam-boiler F, the cocks H H, or either of them, are opened sniiciently Vto let in a small quantity of steam, which passes into chan'lber D, and mingles with the oleaginous vapors, while permeat'ing 'and saturating the lignine contained therein.

This operation is continued until the lignine is thoroughly moistened by the oleaginous and steam vapors before described.

The steam aids, in connection with the Oleaginons vapors, in removing the silicious and gummy matter, and imparts 'to the fibre a desirable degree of moisture, without injuring the strength of it, which would be the case if used by itself.

From the above description, it will be seen that, by?) treating lignine, orthe fibrous portion of bamboo, with oleaginous vapors and steam, we supply the iibre with moisture of such a character, and in such a manner as will give it strength and elasticity, and, by lubricating it, admit of its being separated, not only from the silicious and gurnrny matter, but one fibre from the other, more completely than has hitherto been done. Moreover, the process is simple, rapid, and economical.

. What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The saturating of lignine, or the fibre of bamboo, with oleaginons substances and compounds, substantially as herein described.

Also, the sat-urating of the lignine with oleaginous vapors, in combination with steam, substantially as del scribed. y l

LOUIS S. ROBBINS.

JOHN A. SOUTHMAYD, Witnesses:

CHARLES NETTLETON, M. AnEABNaJr. 

